There are those moments as a journalist where covering what you experienced is extremely difficult. Like reviewing films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe where practically every scene spoils some major plot point or twist in the story. Attempting to give a picture of what it’s like to play the ninth proper edition of the legendary Resident Evil franchise without really ruining the experience is exactly that kind of challenge. It’s really worth experiencing for yourself and seeing first-hand how it all shakes out. We will endeavor to do our best, as you, passionate Resident Evil fan, deserve as deep a sense as possible to what Resident Evil Requiem is really going to be like. As teased, Resident Evil Requiem alternates between two primary game modes (action/shooting and survival horror) and using a different primary character for each: fan-favorite character Leon Kennedy and new character Grace Ashcroft.
Our preview event was designed as a sort of Leon/Grace/Leon sandwich, as it were, with us getting a running-and-gunning look at Leon’s more direct fight and win mechanics at the beginning and the end, where smack dab in the middle was a large chunk of attempting to navigate Grace through the impossible challenges of the hotel we found ourselves in. The player can also switch between first-person and third-person perspectives for the character being piloted too. We chose third-person primarily for our experience as it helped to take the edge off of the jump scares and intense moments when an infected denizen lunged at the character. Yes, this game is scary in all the ways you would hope it would be. In our small little preview room nestled amidst other video game journalists, every ten minutes or so, you could hear someone shout in startled fear as some new foe emerged surprisingly from the darkness. The setting alone–a massive hotel-turned care complex–is pretty perfectly centered to be an endless source of twisting corridors, intentionally poor lighting, and creep-inducing settings (blood-filled surgery rooms, anyone?).
The shooting takes a little getting used to, and the typical game mechanics or well-placed headshots equals instant kill are a little different in these environs. But once you’re rolling, it’s as satisfying as any Resident Evil game has ever been. Leon comes armed with all the usual devil-may-care action-hero one-liners you would expect him to, which are either legitimately cool or hilarious in how over the top they are. A small vignette dumps him into the setting and then we shift to what appears to be just after where the Summer Game Fest previews indicated Grace would have to go through. Go all the way back to the first two Resident Evil titles and remember the immense resource conservation you had to engage in, wisely using bullets, health-giving herbs and components and you’ll be right about on center with this title. We were told the difficulty of the game was high, and that was no joke, as we found ourselves before long shy enough bullets, stabbing or blunt-force weapons enough to surpass the zombie-ish monsters we were encountering. Grace has the survival horror-focus of the game, and you’re instantly feeling like someone just barely physically capable of surviving the nightmare she’s been dumped into.
You must use precise care, and a Metal Gear Solid-level of stealth patience to attempt to avoid confrontations to the best of your ability. Some moments will aim to squarely gross you out, others will attempt to make you run in fear. Be ready to be patient and to have your anxiety and heartbeat spiked pretty much always. Resident Evil Requiem also features a lot of dyed-in-the-wool favorites the franchise is legendary for. Item combining, jump scares, very limited ammo availability, puzzles, passwords, keys and in-game lore are pretty much everywhere, and you have to constantly balance the notion of traversing those challenges at the same time as the infected people who will eat you or rip you to shreds. It feels, pound-for-pound, like the Resident Evil franchise you know and love souped up with a shimmering, modernized version of what the title always feels like. This isn’t a massive departure, it’s the combined strength of its previous facets on steroids. It’s beautifully rendered and diabolically violent. One aspect that’s hard to avoid mentioning (which has always pretty much been a factor in RE games) is that when you are attacked and hit by an enemy, you sometimes end facing the opposite direction of where your mind has your controls pointed to, so getting your bearings each time so you can run the other way is harder than it should be. But that’s a small complaint.
The game is lovingly designed from a map-standpoint to have pieces of Grace and Leon’s path overlap, so you get an instant (“Oh, Grace was here feeling!”) that is oddly rewarding/satisfying. We can’t say much more than: there was a boss battle that we got to experience. But we did, and true to form in Resident Evil games, it was a doozy. A wild series of interconnected challenges from a seemingly larger than life threat. We blew it to bits after careful consideration and timing, but it was a wild experience. This probably will not serve as many major surprise to those that are lifelong Resident Evil fans, but this new entry will absolutely live up to the hype. Get ready to be scared. Get ready to run for your life. Get ready to wisecrack and kick ass.
Resident Evil Requiem comes out on February 27 for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam.